Correctional by NJ Crosskey

Author:NJ Crosskey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Legend Press

4

There was a half hour interlude while the public jammed the phone lines voting in earnest. Justice Live handed over to their sister show Behind the Bars, which featured a young, bouncy aspiring comedian who used a multitude of terrible puns and interviewed so-called experts in order to ‘delve into the psyches of the inmates’. It was all fluff and filler and I couldn’t concentrate on any of it. I popped back to the staffroom to see if Squinty had any more info on the Felton brothers’ arrest, but there was nothing new to report.

“Older one’ll be here tomorrow, I expect,” Squinty said. “Can’t see ’em getting bail.”

“They wouldn’t have anyone who could pay it for them if they did,” I replied and Squinty frowned a little.

“How do you know?” he said.

I was going to have to say it sooner or later, I realised. Besides, keeping it in wasn’t doing me any favours, my head was a mess. “I know them,” I sighed. “From the youth centre I used to work at. Vincent’s a gang leader, but he’s not a bad guy.” Squinty raised his eyebrow at me. “Okay, he is a bad guy, but I never thought he was a killer. And Danny? Danny was always such a sweet kid, I can’t believe it was him.”

“Always the ones you don’t expect,” Squinty said sagely. “I mean it, think about it. Every time some bastard does something heinous and they interview his neighbours, they’re totally shocked, aren’t they? And they always, always say he was a quiet, polite man, kept himself to himself. You never hear ’em saying they’d suspected he was psychopath for years, do you?”

“I guess,” I said, but I still couldn’t bring myself to believe it. “But, Danny and I were close. He used to come every day after school, we’d play pool and chat about his day. I really thought he was going to be okay. I thought he’d stay clear of all that gang shit, maybe even get out of Hallow. I was coaching him for his exams, he was set to do really well. Shit, I feel terrible now. I should never have left.”

“How’d you mean?”

“I let him down. I said I’d be there for him through the exams, but I just left when a better offer came along. What if that was the last straw? What if he just thought fuck it and followed in his brother’s footsteps?”

“Beanie, be rational. If all that was standing between him and that bottle of petrol was you having a game of pool with him, then he was always a lost cause.”

The door squeaked a little as Bodie opened it and stuck his head round. “Sorry, Cal,” he said. “Erin wants you back, the lads are starting to get a bit rowdy.”

“Coming,” I said.

“Don’t dwell on it, mate,” Squinty called out as I left the staffroom. “It’s not your fault, right?”

* * *

“What was that about?” Bodie asked when we were out of earshot.

I explained what had happened, and about my relationship with the Felton brothers.

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